[geeks] One of the things I love about America

[Chris Byrne]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: geeks-admin at sunhelp.org [mailto:geeks-admin at sunhelp.org]On Behalf
> Of Andrew Weiss
> Sent: 02 May 2002 18:06
> To: geeks at sunhelp.org
> Subject: Re: [geeks] One of the things I love about America
>
>
> Hmmm interesting informative info... but I'd disagree with the
> assessment.
>

As is your right to do



>
> > Kennedy, bad president but he had balls, satyriac and pain killer
> > addicted,
> > attended harvard, was a playboy and a naval officer
> >
> Assessment: maybe; total womanizer, however... and not in a good way.

Thats what a satyriac is. its the male version of nymphomanias with
misogynistic undertones.


>
> > LBJ, HORRIBLE president, worst of this century, may have killed kennedy,
> > paranoid, agressive, was a math teacher and artillery colonel
> >
> Assessment: Not much of an opinion, but everything I have heard said he
> had balls... and was influential in the civil rights area after
> Kennedy... a very good thing.

Yes, but he also created the modern welfare system in the US (which doesnt
work. I dont say we dont need one, jsut that it needs to be different and
better), and basically created the vietnam war out of whole cloth.

>
> > Richard Nixon,
> Oddly I feel sorry for the guy, but he was a megalomaniac according to
> most people I talk to.

Actually I feel sorry for him too. He was his own worst enemy by far. That
kind of a persecution complex is hard to overcome.


>
> > Jimmy Carter, great man, horrible president. Has a doctorate in Nuclear
> > physics and a masters in international relations. Was a naval officer
> > and
> > farmer
> >
> Great man who could have been a great president if he wasn't held back
> by Iranians working with the Republicans. (i.e. release the moment
> Ronnie was in)
>

Bullshit. THere was no collusion between the Mullahs and the republicans.
George Bush called up some people and asked them to deliver a message. it
read appx this "If the hostages arent released by midnight of inauguration
day, there will be grave consequences"

Carter wasnt held back by the hostage situation, he was held back by the
fact that he tried to micromanage everything, and that he couldnt get any
congressional help (democratic or republican) even though there was a large
democratic majority. He offended jsut about everyone by calling them all
liars and cheats (which they were). The man was too honest to be president
;-)


>
> > George HW Bush,
> Not really.  Not-so-great president who unfortunately got blamed for
> most of Reagans foibles. Bad on both foreign and domestic... the Gulf
> War was unnecessary.

Not true. The gulf war was very much necessary. Had the US not participated
in the gulf war then Saddam Hussein would control Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and most of the other contiguous contries. Saddam is EXTREMELY
hostile to america, and 53% of the oil america uses comes from those
countries.

Yes it was a war for oil, but the us economy runs on oil.


> > Bill Clinton,
> Great president, satyriac... although for a while he lacked sound
> decision-making skills... "waffling issue"...

I honestly dont see how you can call him great. He didnt actually do
anything great. All of the major things he started failed. Some of them
spectacularly (Haiti, Somalia, Palestine, North Korea) The only significant
thing he did at home was welfare reform and a compromise budget. That is not
the stuff of Great presidents.

>Lying about something
> that's a completely private issue is irrelevant to the job of president
>

I agree with you. The problem is he did it in court, and then when he was
caught he did it again. Then he tried to deny he lied. then he tried to
pretend that when he lied it was actually the truth etc... etc.. etc..

The guy just can't tell the truth. He jsut cant do it.

If he had said "fuck off its none of your damned business" I think america
would have stood behind him, though the press would have shredded him.

> I would attend a university too to avoid drafting (enforced
> slavery)  The draft is the most unconstitutional thing I can think of
> that nobody has challenged... How dare someone force me to fight for a
> country whose current political doctrine I may not believe in....

You live there, you fight for it. That's how it goes. It was the law, it was
never consitutionally challenged. THat's what conscientious objector status
is for.

> didn't like Clinton's supposed alignment with Hollywood and some of the
> recent DMCA and other issues.... though I'm sure that was a case of who
> made the most convincing argument at the time.
>

Bullshit, it was a case of who dumped vast amounts of cash into the parties
fundraising effforts both democrat and republican.

> > George W Bush,
> <rant>
> <comic book guy>Worst president ever</comic book guy>
>
> IS an idiot... total puppet of Cheney.

Bullshit. No-one who's really talked to him or watched him extensively
thinks he's stupid. THey make jokes about it. He is however a joker. He's
very poorly spoken, incurious and not at all studious. He tends to make snap
decisions based on gut feelings rather than measured reasoning. THese are
all very bad things. He isnt however an idiot, nor is he a puppet of anyone.

>Was a drunk and a drug addict.

Can't deny that charge there. he admits it.


> Cares not for the environment. (stupidest environmental policy ever... a
> chimp with a dart board could do it better.)  Quoth Lewis Black "You
> cross your fingers and sign the treaty...  even if you don't perform you
> sign it."  All of his businesses failed and he has the economic sense of
> a meat loaf.
>

The kyoto treaty is bullshit. read the summaries. its a bad bill. Guess
what, Europe thinks so too. Not one of them have signed it either. Its been
around for three years at this point and no-one has signed it. The ABM
treaty died in 1991. Neither are good for America or the world. read them.

The alaska pipeline actually increased populations of caribou, eagles, small
mammals, and the birds that feed on them, I see no problem with drilling in
1% of the ANWR if it's handled properly. Tis is good for us because it means
we need 5-7% less oil from Saudi Arabia. You know the oil that we went to
war over in 1991.

Yes all of his businesses failed, though Id say hes a bit better than a
meatloaf. He appointed some very good people to handle economics, becaues he
knows that he doesnt know.

> They should use the rule of evicting people from public housing if
> anyone in the family is caught with drugs (daughters) to evict the guy
> from the White House.  (after all if they can kick innocent grandmothers
> out... why not mr Rich stuff?)
> </rant>
>

War on drugs is bad. Its that simple. It is in all ways and forms bad. It
must be stopped. It was quite possibly the most damaging long term policy of
the first Bush administration.


>
> Maybe they're all fucked up, but at least they're not Josef Stalin.  I'd
> say averaged out we wouldn't probably make any better presidents.  It's
> not a job I'd want.

Me neither man, me neither.